 | The Panama Canal in American politics: domestic advocacy and the evolution of policy Hogan analyzes the Panama Canal debate, one of the most emotionally charged issues to divide American opinion in this century. Hogan first provides background for his detailed analysis of the historic debate between the Carter administration and the New Right. Preparing the reader for that confrontation and the senate debate that followed, he examines the heritage of political controversy surrounding the Panama Canal, particularly the impact of that controversy on the evolution of U.S. policy throughout the 20th century. He documents the canal's mythic status in American politics--its transformation from a symbol of America's rise to world leadership to a symbol, for many, of American colonialism and imperialism. Hogan's analysis covers the substance of the debate over Panama in both the mass media and in the senate. Without becoming an advocate for either side, he analyzes both the protreaty campaign by the Carter administration and the counterattack by the New Right. J. Michael Hogan is Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Communication at the University of Virginia. |
